Eating disorders are complex conditions that deeply impact individuals’ physical and mental health. These disorders often intertwine with self-critical thoughts and low self-compassion. Research indicates that high levels of self-criticism and low levels of self-compassion correlate with more severe symptoms and poorer outcomes in eating disorder treatment. As part of Mindfulness Month, this blog explores how mindfulness can support eating disorder recovery through mindful practices, mindful eating, and body image-related practices. 

What is mindfulness? 

Mindfulness is the practice of being present and fully engaged with the current moment, without judgment. It involves paying attention to thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations in a compassionate and non-reactive way. Originally rooted in Buddhist traditions, mindfulness has gained significant recognition in modern therapeutic contexts for its benefits in managing stress, anxiety, and other mental health challenges. 

How can mindfulness support eating disorder recovery? 

Mindful practices can play a pivotal role in eating disorder recovery, as they support individuals to become more self-aware, feel calmer and less stressed, feel more able to cope and respond to difficult or unhelpful thoughts and be kinder towards themselves. These tasks can be hard for someone with an eating disorder, so by cultivating awareness and reducing anxiety, eating disorder symptoms can be minimised.  

Mindful practices such as meditation, breathing exercises, and yoga play a pivotal role in eating disorder recovery by reducing anxiety and cultivating awareness of bodily sensations and how to navigate them. Research has shown that mindfulness-based interventions like Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) significantly reduce disordered eating behaviours and improve psychological well-being demonstrating the importance of mindfulness in recovery. 

How can mindful eating support eating disorder recovery? 

Mindful eating emphasises a conscious and attentive approach to eating. It involves paying full attention to the experience of eating and listening to the body’s hunger and fullness cues, which may have been lost due to restrictive or binge eating practices. The key aspects of mindful eating include:  

• Savouring food: Mindful eating encourages savouring each bite, and appreciating the taste, texture, and smell of food. This helps people to slow down whilst eating and can support behaviours such as binge eating.  

• Eating with minimum distractions: For those in recovery, distractions can be useful at the dinner table, however watching TV or being on your phone can influence disconnected eating. Instead, try to eat meals with others and engage in conversation, making sure to connect to the moment.  

• Listening to hunger and fullness cues: At the start of recovery, this can be challenging, and it is important to stick to a regular eating routine. However, starting to recognise hunger and fullness cues as you establish a regular eating pattern will support a more balanced and intuitive approach to eating. 

Over time, mindful eating is a practice which will allow individuals to respond to their body’s internal cues regarding hunger and fullness. Research has shown that mindful eating relieves emotional interventions, improves emotional eating behaviours and increases the enjoyment and appreciation of food.  

However, it is important to note that whilst in eating disorder recovery, you may have to eat despite a lack of hunger cues. It can take a while for your body to regain hunger cues during extended periods of starvation and establishing a regular eating schedule is the most important thing first.   

Mindfulness and body image  

A negative body image is a common struggle for individuals with eating disorders. This often involves judgment and criticism of one’s body, engaging in behaviours to change one’s body shape and spending a significant amount of time thinking negatively about their body image. 

Mindfulness can help improve body image by supporting to foster a compassionate and realistic perception of one’s body. By noticing bodily sensations without judgment, individuals can connect with their bodies in a positive and non-critical way. 

Research has shown that higher levels of self-compassion were linked to lower levels of eating disorder symptoms, the capacities developed through mindfulness practices support compassionate mind training and can help individuals to counteract the harsh self-criticism that is often linked to body image and eating disorder thought cognitions.   

Mindfulness at TBITC  

At TBITC, our founder, Tom Midgley, is a CBT & Compassion Focused Psychotherapist. Both Tom and the TBITC team regularly incorporate mindfulness and compassion-based skills when appropriate to support clients with eating disorder clients to enhance the overall effectiveness of treatment. 

Mindfulness offers a valuable set of tools for supporting eating disorder recovery. By incorporating mindful practices, mindful eating, and body image-related exercises, those in recovery can cultivate a more compassionate and balanced approach to their bodies and their relationship with food. Embracing mindfulness as part of a holistic recovery plan can lead to lasting improvements in both mental and physical health, paving the way for a more fulfilling and harmonious life. 

If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder or body image issues, know that you are not alone. At The Body Image Treatment Clinic, we understand the challenges you face, and we’re here to help. Our compassionate team of psychotherapists and dietitians specialise in treating conditions which impact the body and mind.  

To find out more, head over to our Eating Disorder Support page. You can also contact us to find out more about how we can help you on your recovery journey.